---
title: "Cyanate and thiocyanate ions Template | MolDraw"
url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/resonance-cyanate-thiocyanate/
description: "Cyanate and thiocyanate ions template: OCN⁻ and SCN⁻: ⁻O–C≡N ↔ O=C=N⁻ and ⁻S–C≡N ↔ S=C=N⁻, two contributors each with the charge on the chalcogen or on…"
lang: en
publisher: Scidart Academy
generated: 2026-10-28
---
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# Cyanate and thiocyanate ions template

![Cyanate and thiocyanate ions template: OCN⁻ and SCN⁻: ⁻O–C≡N ↔ O=C=N⁻ and ⁻S–C≡N ↔ S=C=N⁻, two contributors each with the charge on the chalcogen or on nitrogen.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/resonance-cyanate-thiocyanate.webp)

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OCN⁻ and SCN⁻: ⁻O–C≡N ↔ O=C=N⁻ and ⁻S–C≡N ↔ S=C=N⁻, two contributors each with the charge on the chalcogen or on nitrogen.

## What the template shows

- Linear ions with the negative charge on either end
- Resonance contributors
- Cyanate ion
- OCN⁻: O⁻ form ↔ N⁻ form
- Thiocyanate ion
- SCN⁻: S⁻ form ↔ N⁻ form
- In cyanate the form with O⁻ (the most electronegative atom) is the major contributor; in thiocyanate both forms contribute strongly.
- A third form with the charges ⁺O≡C–N²⁻ is a very minor contributor and is usually left out.
- Both ions are ambident: SCN⁻ binds soft metals through S (thiocyanato) and hard ones through N (isothiocyanato); alkylation gives R–SCN or R–NCS.
- Contributors are not in equilibrium: the real species is one hybrid of them · every part of this figure is editable

Drawn with 12 atoms, 6 arrows, 3 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.

## Sources

- [Housecroft & Sharpe, Inorganic Chemistry, 5th ed., Pearson 2018](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781292134147) Textbook

## How to use this template

1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Cyanate and thiocyanate ions template free?

You can preview the Cyanate and thiocyanate ions template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates.

### Can I edit the Cyanate and thiocyanate ions template?

Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.

### Is the chemistry checked?

Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.

### How are resonance structures shown?

Each contributor is drawn separately, joined by double-headed resonance arrows, with curly arrows showing how the electrons move from one contributor to the next.

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